The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian – 378 pages
ARC from Doubleday and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
Crissy Dowling has created a world that suits her perfectly. She passes her days by the pool in a private cabana, she splurges on ice cream but never gains an ounce, and each evening she transforms into a Princess, performing her musical cabaret inspired by the life of the late Diana Spencer. Some might find her strange or even delusional, an American speaking with a British accent, hair feathered into a style thirty years old, living and working in a casino that has become a dated trash heap. On top of that, Crissy’s daily diet of Adderall and Valium leaves her more than a little tipsy, her Senator boyfriend has gone back to his wife, and her entire career rests on resembling a dead woman. And yet, fans see her for the gifted chameleon she is, showering her with gifts, letters, and standing ovations night after night. But when Crissy’s sister, Betsy, arrives in town with a new boyfriend and a teenage daughter, and when Richie Morley, the owner of the Buckingham Palace Casino, is savagely murdered, Crissy’s carefully constructed kingdom comes crashing down all around her.
My Review: 3 stars
The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian was a twisted ride through Las Vegas featuring many sinister characters.
Estranged twins that look very much alike both end up Las Vegas for entirely different reasons. Crissy is a long-standing, successful impersonator of a Princess Di tribute show. Betsy is there for a job opportunity with her newly adopted 13 y.o. daughter and new boyfriend. Unbeknownst to Betsy, the company she is working for is up to some nefarious nonsense.
The murder mystery part of the story was intriguing, yet all the talk about crypto currency was lost on me and I really didn’t care. I also found the math prodigy adoptee to be unbelievable, and that story arc could’ve been so much richer.
The twin story isn’t a new one and I liked how similar the two looked. There was so much room for that relationship to sing off the page. Instead, it was predictable and ended exactly how I thought it would. I wish this author would go back to historical fiction. I loved his earlier books.
Quotes I liked:
No one escapes who they are.”
“Being a princess isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.”
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I have not read Chris’s new book and probably will not. I totally agree with your admiration for his older work.
Then, I read everything he wrote. I worries me that authors have to write novels that align with what is occurring in film and the news.
Yep. It’s frustrating!